Uzbekistan stores may charge for plastic bags from 2019

2018-03-09 12:00:14

In Uzbekistan stores may charge for plastic bags from January 1, 2019. This is provided by the government draft Measures to Further Improve and Develop Sanitation System decree, published for public consultation by the Committee for Environmental Protection.

The decree is aimed at “preventing pollution” and also proposes to ban adding the cost of bags in total cost of goods and their sale below cost.

All manufacturers and retailers may be required to put matrix codes on bags. The move may apply on production and import into Uzbekistan of plastic bags, less than 15 microns thick and less than 5 liters capacity. From January 1, 2020, this decision will apply to bags less than 50 microns and less than 10 liters.

The exception will be bags of up to 1 liter, without holders, advertising and information logos that are part of loose products, as well as bags sold in rolls of at least 50 pieces for household use.

The draft notes "extremely inefficient use of plastic, metal, glass, paper and other household waste", as well as "insufficient legal and environmental awareness of the population and low level of public participation in the field of waste management".